Toddler's painting

[Matryoshka]

What does your toddler wear for painting? so far we have a set of crappy clothes, but he still ends up with it all over his feet and hands as he likes walking through the paint and throwing the water around. I'm all for letting him touch and feel the paint, so was considering let him go naked..... we just shower afterwards. Does anyone else do this? it is child safe paint.

Also how much do you guide your child? i try to take the back role of leading by example, i will paint and show him how to dip the brush to clean it. But ultimately i let him go for it, so most often it involves all the colours becoming a beautiful shade of mush and he will dip his brush and splatter water everywhere I figure this is pretty good for 20 months yeah?? Plenty of time for skills later??

We usually do this outside or on the floor on a huge sheet of plastic.

[Rouge]

We usually have one brush per colour. This mostly prevents the mixing and also prevents the need for water. We try to teach that paint is for paper only but thats mostly because he has playgroup where he also paints and I daresay if he started painting things other than the paper he wouldn't be allowed to paint LOL and I'd prefer furnishings to remain as they are without any toddler modifications LMAO! We don't really have any problems with paint on clothes as the smocks he uses are quite generous, paint in hair however thats something else LOL! But it washes out

[Matryoshka]

Yeah i found my DS has wanted to leave the area with the brushes and i direct him back, if he keeps doing it i explain why we need to paint in that area and if he persists we have to pack up. He's going through the tantrum stage though which makes this difficult because he gets so distressed, but ultimately he does need to know the paints stay in one area.

I do put one brush in each paint but he seems to like using one brush so he throws the other ones out of those pots So far i'm going with it because its no biggy at this point.

I wasn't sure about trying a smock because he refuses to wear bibs or anything that is restrictive, even the elasticated ones which just go over the neck...

[Rouge]

The one we have is like a reverse rain coat and has high five on it, its velcro at the neck at the back so no elastic, Seth loves it because it has Hi-5 on it so he thinks its great. You can get all sorts of designs too. The thing I like about it mostly is that its water proof in a way so the paint doesn't seep through to clothing iykwim.

Forgot to say as well we don't direct either we just let him go for his life, its all about artist expression LOL!

[Matryoshka]

That sounds like an option, where did you get it? i'm only really close to target and kmart where we are (bit rural) and they didn't have much.

I hear you on the artistic expression, the most beautiful stuff is done without restriction or inhibition.

[Astrid]

We have an ABC Play School smock similar to the one Cai mentioned, not sure where it came from as it was a gift.

We just let DD go for it with painting, she will paint 2-3 paintings and then have had enough. She seems to know not to paint elsewhere, except for her hands. DH taught her to paint her hands to do hand prints Thankfully she tells me when she is finished.

[Rouge]

I think we got ours from one of the department stores like K-mart, big w or Target. I'm pretty sure I've seen them around a few different places. Next time I'm out I'll have a look and see if I can spot one.

[Matryoshka]

Thanks that would be good, the shops here are pretty limited. I might look online too.

Have put a pic of DS artwork in the gallery, its always nice to show them off

[bigbird2girls]

I got a smock from k-mart but i have also seen them in woolies in the baby isle with the bottles, bibs, cups etc etc. Maybe try woolies if you have one near you. Were abouts are you located MummaB?
I let me girls go for there lives and then just hose the paving down after they have finished! I must say though i actually get out there and paint as well and make a mess too part of the fun really - i act like a kid too Lol!

HTH
jen

[Nazela]

Ela wears an old princess dress that doesnt really fit (shh).lol

If she wants to get up she has to pack up first

[Visitor7]

Nina wears just a nappy. I let her go for her life. We use water based paints, so I just hose/wipe the paint off. We have a lot of 'artwork' from her in our patio now

[*Efjay*]

Do you know what My kids love. A Bucket of water & paint brush & then go around painting everything (outside of course) they love painting with water.

[smiles4u]

My 22mth old daughter Cendrine & I haven't tried painting as of yet ... But she loves drawing with chalk on the backyard pavement AND drawing with crayons on a huge drawing pad.

Nice big thick crayons at the Warehouse shop for about 69 or 89cents a box !!

Big tub of thick chalk sticks at the reject shop for $1.75 a tub OR a smaller tub of thinner chalks (easier for tiny hands, though might break easier??) at the Bargain Basement shop for about $2.00

*** WHAT PAINTS DO YOU BUY/RECOMMEND FOR TODDLERS TO USE & FROM WHAT SHOP ?? ... WOULD LOVE TO KNOW !!!

[Trish]

I sit my kids outside with crappy out grown shirts on. For DP's Father's Day present a few years bck I got them a canvas each, set them up with the paint stamps you can grab from any $ 2 shop and sponge like brushes along with normal ones. I just put paint on a paint palate for them to use that way, It doesn't matter if the colours got mixed up, it's half the fun. They also get their hands right in there and smear it all around.

The crayola paints are great, made for kids so you know that they are non toxic. And yep a bath or shower afterwards cleans up the stray paint

[Liz]

LOL - FJ, that's what my nephew used to do! Gave nanna's verandah a good wash every now and then!

[Visitor7]

smiles4u - I use the Crayola paints like Trish mentioned. Non toxic water based paints. I have a chalk board/white board set up in the patio for Nina, and I put clip some butchers paper up on it, and let her go for her life. She loves it.

[Rouge]

Some playgroups have a toy club (kinda like scholastic book club) and they sell paint in bulk, the jumbo brushes and pots as well. I have found this paint to be great, its washable just like crayola and its what most Kinder/Playgroup's use. And in bulk (2 ltr containers) its a lot cheaper.